Vers une typologie des formes spatiales des limites de l’Europe

Abstract

Thinking about what Europe is, about its limits often consists in trying to identify something such as a European identity, a common project or behavior in space. The approach by mental representations can be supplemented by more subjective perspective, the perception of borders. This article made from the survey results of the research project Eurobroadmap about the vision of Europe in the world allows identifying a typology of spatial forms of the boundaries of Europe. Interpretative mental maps by students show a configuration variable geometry of Europe, as the process of the construction of the European Union, with limits more or less marked. A comparison between the mental maps of different countries (members of the European Union, neighboring countries, remote countries…) shows the differences in perceptions of Europe.

Keywords

• border
• Europe
• mental map
• representation